Oakland stomped all over the Orioles on Sunday, and by the late going, grievances boiled over in the A's 11-1 win, with both benches emptying after Manny Machado let his bat go on a swing, sending it toward third baseman Alberto Callaspo.
Machado, who inexplicably snapped at Josh Donaldson on Friday night after being tagged out in the baseline, had smacked catcher Derek Norris in the head with a backswing in the sixth inning Sunday, and Norris had to leave the game.
Reliever Fernando Abad then threw near Machado's legs on the first pitch of his at-bat in the eighth, and on the next pitch, Machado let his bat fly down the third-base line.
Catcher Stephen Vogt turned and yelled at Machado, and both benches emptied - with catcher John Jaso, usually the team's most laid-back player, leading the charge for Oakland.
"It got pretty intense there for a while," said Jaso, who was restrained by Baltimore coach Wayne Kirby. "There is a certain respect you have to have for this game ... and when I feel someone doesn't see that or respect the game as such, it doesn't sit well with me."
Abad and Machado were ejected, Abad for throwing at Machado and Machado for a bat toss that crew chief Larry Vanover said "wasn't accidental." Both are likely to be fined and could be suspended.
"The bat slipped out of my hands," Machado said. "Trying to make contact and the umpire thought it was intentional and he tossed me at that point."
The consensus in the A's clubhouse was that Machado meant to let the bat go, some pointing to the fact the ball was already in the glove when he swung.
"I've never seen a guy swing at a ball coming right at him like that and let the bat go flying," Jaso said. "There's only one thing I can think: It was kind of intentional."
A's manager Bob Melvin said only, "Everyone saw what went down the last couple of days, and everyone's thinking the same thing. I'll leave it at that."